http://pubrecord.org/world/6876/defending-moazzam-amnesty-international/
First, off both of my parents were members of Amnesty International and wrote letters on behalf of prisoners of conscience….I recall firsthand a letter received back from an African man who had been in custody most of his adult life and his sincere thanks....AI is one of those groups like the Salvation Army that seems beyond politics.
The current controversy is about Mr. Begg’s associations and beliefs as well as those of his organization….Now I am going to take a different tack on this than some….There are those who argue about the veracity of Mr. Begg’s account of his experiences in Afghanistan and connection to terrorist groups as well as the Islamic fundamentalist beliefs of himself and his organization….Their argument is how can Amnesty International back a group that hold beliefs that go against basic human rights?....Actually I should use the word “alleged” here as many of the accusations against Mr. Begg and his group are not proven
Well , Amnesty International is not officially approving of or endorsing any of Cageprisoners individual religious beliefs….It does however agree with and support Cageprisoners basic mission which is to promote awareness about the unlawfully held combatants in Guantanamo and other places and what they have been and are experiencing (including torture) .
And that’s all that matters….Those who argue against Cageprisoners and AI working together are essentially arguing that what’s happening in Guantanamo is okay since they deny the right to protest to a group of ex-detainees (which is what Cageprisoners are).
Who is going to speak for these people then?....And rest assured they need someone….While their numbers are gradually shrinking, we still have no assurance that everyone held in this way is actually guilty of a crime and what about people who were seized when they were still juveniles?
In the 1970’s, Amnesty International broadened its mandate from helping prisoners of conscience to also helping those held without trial or due process….This clearly covers the detainees held as part of the War on Terror….Allying themselves with a group of ex-detainees on this issue alone does not make AI Islamist sympathizers.
AI was right to suspend Gita Saghal, the head of its gender unit, after she spoke publicly on this….There are channels to follow within an organization and she clearly didn’t follow them….Such selfish public behavior undermines the good work they do….The creepy belligerati who have championed her, such as Salman Rushdie and Christopher Hitchens, are themselves supporters of the Iraq War and neo conservatives….What is really going on is here is a hidden agenda of those who can no longer speak publicly due to the failure of their interventionist beliefs….Attacking a group that aids Muslims held illegally and subject to torture is all they can do now….How pathetic!
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